Africa-Press – Uganda. The land dispute between Kabarole District and Tooro Kingdom has taken a new twist, with the former suspending the singing of the latter’s anthem.
Two weeks ago, the kingdom halted any developments on the 12-acre piece of land at Busoro Sub-county headquarters where the district had planned to construct their headquarters. The kingdom insists the contested piece of land is one of the properties the government owes to the kingdom.
Daily Monitor has now established that the district leadership, during last Friday’s council meeting, suspended the singing of Tooro Kingdom anthem at all government functions and in schools in the area to send a displeasure message for blocking their key project.
They also directed the district chief administrative officer to write to all schools and other development partners to communicate the council decision.
On Tuesday at a schools’ debate organised by the Ministry of Water and Environment at the Youth Centre in Nyabukara, Fort Portal City, the host, Mpanga SS, omitted the kingdom anthem and only sang the school, national and East African anthems.
Mr Peter Bazira, the councillor for Kichwamba Sub-county who moved the motion banning the singing of Tooro anthem, claimed that the kingdom is sabotaging developments in the district.The district Speaker, Ms Stella Kyorampe, said the move to suspend the singing of the anthem is one way of showing dissatisfaction to the kingdom.
“The government earmarked Shs200 million for the start of the new district headquarters and by June if we have not spent that money, it will be reverted to the treasury and we will lose it; the kingdom doesn’t want development for its people,” she said.
The district leadership had embarked on construction two weeks ago but the kingdom officials blocked the move, forcing the Local Government minister, Mr Raphael Magyezi, to intervene.
The district resolution has since sparked off outrage from kingdom officials and subjects, saying the two parties should sit and resolve the impasse amicably.
Tooro Kingdom on Tuesday convened an extraordinary cabinet meeting where they condemned the district council’s move, saying it is meant to disrespect the cultural institution and its king.
The cabinet secretary, Mr Benjamin Gusarire, said the meeting resolved that any development on the disputed land should be done in consultation with the kingdom. He insisted that the title for the disputed land is registered in the kingdom’s names.
The cultural institution also accused the Kabarole District chairperson, Mr Richard Rwabuhinga, of failing to guide the council on the matter.
“The district chairperson (Rwabuhinga) is a former minister for education in Tooro Kingdom and as cabinet, we have also resolved to ban him from performing any cultural norms of Tooro, especially at marriage functions, because he disrespected the kingdom,” the kingdom lands minister, Mr Polly Kateeba, said. When contacted, the district chairperson laughed off his suspension from conducting kingdom rituals at marriage ceremonies.
“We shall not rescind the district resolution until this land issue is resolved; also, banning me from leading people for marriage is a waste of time because marriage is between two families and I am not commissioned by the kingdom to do those functions,” Mr Rwabuhinga said.
Last year, Kabarole District council resolved to relocate their headquarters from Kitumba to Busoro Sub-county. This is because their current district headquarters is located in Fort Portal, which has since been made a city.
But Tooro Kingdom said the piece of land where the district wants to build its headquarters belongs to the cultural institution. The kingdom added that the contested land had not been titled by the time the kingdoms were abolished in 1967 by then president Milton Obote.
